Congo - Wildlands Protection Project (Vol. 1 of 2)

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY Congo, Congo Wildlands Protection Project Document March 1993 THE WORLD BANK  GEF Documentation The Global Environment Facility (GEF) assists developing countries to protect the global ernvironment in four areas: global warming, pollution of international waters, destruction of biodiversity. and depletion of the ozone layer. The GEF is jointly implemented bythe United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme, arid the World Bank. GEF Project Documents - identified by a green band - provide extended project- specific information. The implementing agency responsible for each project is identified by its logo on the cover of the document. Global Environmiient Coordination Division Environment Department World Bank 1818 H Street. NW Washington. DC 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1816 Fax: (202) 522-3256  CURRENCY EOUIVALENTS Currency unit = CFA franc (CFAF) US$1.00 = CFAF 270 (October 1992)a/ WEIGHTS AND MEASURES Metric system ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS CAR - Central African Republic GEF - Global Environment Facility GET - Global Environment Trust Fund GOC - Government of Congo HPLF - Howletts/Port Lympne Foundation MAB - Man and Biosphere NEAP - National Environmental Action Plan NGO - Non-Governmental Organization PMU - Project Management Unit TSC - Technical Steering Committee UNDP - United Nations Development Programme UNESCO - United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization USAID - U.S. Agency for International Development FISCAL YEAR January 1 - December 31 a/ The CFA franc is tied to the French franc (FF 1.00 = CFAF 50) which is subject to a floating exchange rate.   REPUBLIC OF CONGO WILDLANDS PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT PROJECT GRANT AND PROJECT SUMMARY Recipient: The Government of Congo Beneficiaries: Ministry of Economy, Finance and Planning, Ministry in charge of Protected Areas, and Ministry in charge of Science and Technology Amount: 6.9 million SDR (SUS 10 million) Terms: Grant Financing GEF US$ 10.1 million Z/ Plan: USAID US$ 2.2 million Peace Corps USS 0.4 million HPLF US$ 0.2 million GOC US$ 1.0 million Total US$ 13.9 million Economic Rate of Return: not applicable Maps: IBRD No. 23525 and 23526 a/ of which a Project Preparation Advance (PPA) of USS 100,000 from the GEF, and a GET grant of USS 10 million.   CONGO CONGO WILDLANDS PROTECTION 1. Background. Congo is a country with great ecological wealth. There are still many virtually untouched areas with considerable biological diversity and densities of rare wildlife. The forest covers 65 % of the national territory (342,000 kTn2) and is subdivided into three main areas (the Congo Basin, the Niari, and the Mayombe-Kouilou). 20% of this forest has standing water during most of the year (North-East region). The remaining 35 % of the territory is savannah. Congo's population is approximately 2.6 million, of which 60% is urbanized, which means that rural densities are generally extremely low. 2. The Government's environmental strategy has two main orientations: (a) ensure the rational and sustainable use of the country's productive resources, through the development and implementation of a nationwide natural resource management plan; and (b) preserve the country's biodiversity, through the establishment of a network of protected areas. The proposed project will be the main vehicle for biodiversity conservation, an objective over which national and global interests converge. The Government is further developing its strategy through two main planlning exercises: (a) the Tropical Forest Action Plan (TFAP) which began in June 1990 and should be completed by beginning of 1993; it is being managed by the French Cooperation under FAO's oversight; and (b) the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) whose preparation began in September 1991 and which should be completed by mid-1993. The NEAP addresses the country's overall environmental problems and will incorporate the TFAP's conclusions into its action plan. One of the primary goals of the NEAP which concerns this project, is to reconmmend the appropriate institutional arrangements for a permanent structure in charge of national conservation activities. 3. Although there are I llegally gazetted areas earmarked for conservation, thus far, conservation initiatives have been limited. The legal statutes of the gazetted areas differ, and none of them, except for Odzala National Park and Dimonika-MAB reserve, has benefitted from a rational conservation program or management plan. These 11 reserves cover roughly 1.5 million ha, or 4.4% of the national territory. In addition, the Nouabale-Ndoki and the Lake Tele-Likoula-aux-Herbes sites, in the north of the country, have been identified as particularly important zones to conserve since they still contain primary closed forests and inundated forests with considerable numbers of large mammals. The addition of these two sites will bring the total amount of protected land to 3.5 million ha (just over 10% of the national territory). The Nouabale-Ndoki site could become part of a larger conservation area which will be contiguous with the Dzanga-Sangha reserve in the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Lake Lob6k6 region in Cameroon, thus forming one of the largest closed forest systems in Africa. 4. Project Objectives and Strategy. The project's overall objective is to protect a significant amount of the Congo's biological diversity through: (a) continued monitoring of key biodiversity indicators, and systematic planning and coordination of conservation activities, at the national level; and (b) careful management of selected reserves, at the local level. This will ensure that the country's ecosystems, important in global terms, will be conserved. The project will be the first in a series on interventions for biodiversity conservation at the national and sub-regional level. The project, as such, is modest and to some extent experimental. The project will pursue a long-term strategy designed to build the necessary framework for effective biodiversity conservation in the Congo and will act as a catalyst for complementary biodiversity protection projects. The main thrust  of the strategy will be to establish a coherent system of reserve management through the development of: (a) appropriate institutions for all conservation activities, including a Trust Fund to contribute to the project financial sustainability; (b) rational management plans for reserves where plans are non- existent or inadequate; and (c) alternative activities for local popul3tions to ensure the long-tern protection of the reserves. 5. Project Description. At the national level, the project will lay the groundwork for a permanent structure in charge of all conservation activities by creating a Project Management Unit (PMU) and a Technical Steering Committee (TSC) to manage and monitor the project in the interim. The project will also support the capacity-building of the Direction in charge of protected areas, the National Herbarium, the National Geographic and Cartographic Center, and national NGOs. At the local level, the project will focus on five sites representative of the country's biodiversity: Nouabale- Ndoki, primary closed forest; Conkouati, mixed gallery forest, savannah and mangrove swamp; Dimonika, mixed closed forest; Lefini, savannah and gallery forest; and Lake T61e-Likouala, inundated forest. Additional inventory and survey work will be carried out in Mt. Fouari, Mt. Nabemba-Garibenzam and other sites for possible inclusion at a later stage. In the five priority reserves, the project will support the development and execution of rational management plans, including alternative activities for local populations. The experience gained in these reserves will form the basis for developing management systems to be replicated over time in all other reserves. 6. Proiect ImDlementation. Responsibility for project implementation will be vested with the Project Management Unit which will report to the Ministry of Economy, Finanace and Planning. Technical steering will be entrusted to the Technical Steering Committee, chaired by the Ministry in charge of protected areas and comprising all parties (including NGOs) involved in conservation activities. The PMU will oversee the execution of all project components, and, in support of these supervisory activities, will be directly responsible for all central tasks relating to: (a) planning and monitoring of conservation activities; and (b) development of the regulatory and inmetitutional framework for these activities. In addition, it will execute the following components: (a) studies concerning the local populations, to be undertaken in close liaison with the individual reserve authorities; (b) training of high-level personnel; (c) information and sensitization campaigns; and (d) establishment of the Trust Fund. Two other executing agencies at the central level will be: (a) the National Herbarium for all floristic inventories and studies; and (b) the National Geographic and Cartographic Center for the treatment of maps. At the local level, daily management of project activities will be the responsibility of the individual reserves authorities, except for the field activities of the two centrally-managed components. In one area (Nouabal6-Ndoki), local project activities will be undertaken as part of a broader program coordinated by Wildlife Conservation International (an American NGO), and comprising other components financed by USAID under parallel arrangements. The above set up will ensure: (a) operational autonomy in daily project implementation, both at the nationa! and local level; (b) adequate dialogue/interface with technical and policy-making bodies; and (c) sustainability of project actions. 7. Project Sustainability. The following features are specifically built into the project design to ensure institutional sustainability: (a) the central functions of the Project Management Unit, following the Mid-Term Review (PY3), will be transferred to the pernanent structure in charge of conservation activities to be created based on the recomunendations of the National Environmnental Action Plan and on the experience gained during the first phase of project implementation; this structure will have national oversight of conservation activities, and will be administratively and financially autonomous; (b) within the national system, the local reserves authorities will be given autonomous statutes, with in particular legal possibility to embark on revenue generating activities and secure external funding; this will ensure that part of the resources generated locally will be used  3 locally both to contribute to recurrent expenditures and develop programs of alternative activities for the local populations; (c) the creation of the Trust Fund will enable external funds to be mobilized in the form of endowments; the latter will generate revenues to help cover part of future recurrent costs; and (d) executive staff, research specialists, reserve managers, guards and other support staff will undergo formal training in addition to the on-the-job coaching provided by technical assistance; the latter's responsibilities will be gradually phased out and transferred to the national staff; training and transfer of responsibilities, to be reflected in the terms of reference of the technical assistance, will ensure the capacity building required for national institutions and reserves management. 8. Lessons of Previous Bank/UN Involvement. To date, the only systematic conservation efforts undertaken in the Congo have been initiated within the framework of the Man and the Biosphere program in the area of Dimonika with UNDP/UNESCO sponsorship. The program started at the beginning of the 80s and led to the successful development of a local reserve system and important research findings. At present, however, this system is proving difficult to sustain, mainly because of encroachment by the local population and lack of resources to cover recurrent costs. This shortcoming is due mostly to the lack of alternative activities for the local population and the absence of self-generated revenues in the reserve. The best example of the Bank's involvement in conservation relevant to the Congo circumstances is in the CAR Dzanga-Sangha National Park which borders the proposed Nouabal6-Ndoki reserve. This on-going project is proving successful in restoring and protecting large populations of mammals as well as generating local funds through safari hunting and tourism, by developing appropriate institutions and involving local populations. 9. Rationale for GEF involvement. Given Congo's anticipated economic problems in the short-to-medium term, it is very unlikely that the Government will allocate adequate funds for the conservation of ecosystems that are of vital importance from a global viewpoint. The availability of grant funds will reinforce the Government's commitment to protect biodiversity, and will be a strong incentive to the Government to pursue conservation and related support actions. GEF financing will be limited to areas whose conservation has global significance and which receive no or insufficient extemal assistance. 10. Agreed Actions. Assurances obtained at negotiations are that the Governent will: (a) organize a Mid-Term Review no later than June 30, 1995; and (b) no later than six months following the Mid-Term Review (i) enact the new legislation conceming protected areas, (ii) adopt the permanent structure to take charge of all conservation activities nationally, (iii) give appropriate legal statutes to all five priority project sites, (iv) complete deployment of the required government staff in these sites, and (v) establish the Trust Fund, all preceding measures under terms and conditions acceptable to the Bank and following adequate public consultations. As preliminary steps to the above, the Governnent will have, by June 30, 1994: (a) submitted a plan to review the legislation conceming protected areas, (b) taken the preliminary steps to gazette the priority project sites; and (c) started deployment of government staff in these sites along the agreed individual schedules. As conditions of Grant effectiveness, the Government will: (a) stop the issuance of new logging concessions in the project priority sites; (b) establish a Project Management Unit, as interim management structure for the project, under the tutelage of the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Planning; the Unit will cease to exist no later than six months after the Mid-Term Review, at which date the permanent structure is scheduled to take over; (c) select a Project Coordinator and two high level staff for the Project Management Unit, with qualifications and experience acceptable to the Bank, through competitive selection advertized in the local media; (d) establish a Technical Steering  4 Committee with a mandate and membership acceptable to the Bank to be chaired by the Minister in charge of protected areas, and a Peer Review Committee, consisting of three international experts with qualifications and experience acceptable to the Bank; (e) issue an appropriate legal instrument to grant full tax exemption to all project related activities, subject to existing national laws and regulations; and (f) deposit the amount of CFAF 5 million on the project account. 11. Environmental Impact. The project will greatly enhance the conservation of the country's biodiversity, thus having an overall positive environmental impact. The project will also enhance the training and education of Congolese in matters concerning the environment, thereby increasing the Government's awareness of environmental problems and capacity to manage the country's natural resources. The strengthening of government institutions associated with conservation matters will also generate a positive environmental impact. The environmental analysis undertaken as part of project preparation stated that the project will have an overall positive impact on the conservation of Congo's biodiversity. The analysis pointed out that, in the absence of the project, the biodiversity of the Congo will continue to deteriorate. The main issues raised in the environmental analysis concern the sustainability of the project actions following ternnination of project funding, the inclusion of other areas outside the GEF sites, and the allowance for subsistence hunting and alternative activities for local populations. The issue of sustainability is addressed in the project mainly by the creation of the Trust Fund. In addition, the creation of alternative economic activities for local populations and the involvement of international NGOs with a long-term interest in the area should aid the sustainability of the project. Additional sites for possible inclusion at a later date will be identified by the PMU, and inventories and surveys will be conducted. Management plans will only be developed in these areas after the permanent reserve management capacity is able to successfully manage the existing areas. To ensure environmental soundness in all project activities, all management plans and project activities will be subjected to an independent environmental assessment when necessary. The TSC will review all project activities and will decide on the necessary environmental assessments. 12. Benefits and risks. The main benefits to be derived from the project will be the conservation of unique ecosystems, with attendant preservation of biodiversity of global value. The project will give the Government the scientific and management cognizance to undertake further conservation actions. It will also help develop an appropriate regulatory and institutional framework, and establish a national system of reserves. This will furnish to the Government the capacity and tools to design and implement a coherent conservation policy. 13. The main risks associated with project implementation are largely outside project control They concern: (a) the relative political instability of the country which is presently undergoing a movement towards democracy; and (b) the potential conflict with other activities, such as infrastructure building, logging, oil exploitation and agricultural development in the reserve areas, that will aim at short term economic development. Concerning the political risk, despite the volatility of the present political situation, the Government has continuously expressed commitment for conservation-oriented activities. The decision to adopt a comprehensive Law of the Environment in April 1991, and very recently to create a new ministry in charge of the environment, tourism and leisure with responsibility over protected areas, are testimony of the Government's commnitment to preserving biodiversity and augu.s well for the final institutional arrangements to be made in the area of conservation of natural resources. The issue of potential conflict for land use has already been partially addressed by the Governnent by agreeing to rapidly gazette the Nouabale-Ndoki area, and  5 therefore prohibit logging in this area which is one of the last unassigned forestry concession. This represents a sign that the Government will accept the additional gazetting that may be required. 14. Other implementation risks concern: (a) the lack of coordination of field activities, which may lead to a number of isolated projects with their own rationale, rather than a coherent set of actions consistent with the national strategy; (b) the lack of participation by local populations in management and anti-poaching efforts in the reserves, preempting long-term sustainability; and (c) the weak financial situation of the Government to mobilize funds for long-term conservation of protected areas. These risks will be addressed under the project by: (a) developing the regulatory and institutional framework at central level; assistance for institution-building (in particular in the field of monitoring and supervision) will perrnit to effectively apply regulations and render the national institutions operational; this will ensure proper coordination of field activities; (b) local participation will be key to maintaining any long-term management system; thus support will go to establishing proper dialogue with local people and helping fund pilot projects which will offset the pressure in the reserves; and (c) the resources generated locally by the reserves and the establishment of the Trust Fund should contribute substantially to cover recurrent costs both in the reserves and at the central level. The Trust Fund will hope to attract other donor financing outside of the GEF. Attachmnents  6 Schedule A Page 1 of 1 REPUBLIC OF CONGO WILDLANDS PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT PROJECT Estimated Project Costs and Financing Plan A. Estimated Project Costs Local Foreign Total Local Foreign Total Foreign Base Costs Exchange ----CFAF Million - --USS Thousand---- ----------X--------- National Level Components 1. Project Management 105 171 276 390 635 1,025 62 8 2. Consultancfes and Studies 121 189 310 449 700 1,149 61 10 3. Trust Fund 32 49 81 117 183 300 61 2 4. Training (mgmt. unit) 125 159 284 464 590 1,054 56 9 5. CERVE (herbarium) 36 88 124 133 327 460 71 4 6. CERGEC (cartography) 10 82 92 37 303 340 89 3 7. Project Preparatory Advance 7 20 27 25 75 100 75 1 Subtotal 436 758 1,194 1,615 2,813 4,428 63 37 Local Level ComPOnents 1. Nouabal6 - Ndoki 396 476 872 1,467 1,765 3,232 55 27 2. Conkouati 227 299 526 840 1,107 1,947 57 16 3. Dimonika 112 129 240 416 476 892 53 7 4. Lefini 95 162 257 352 599 951 63 8 5. Lake Te6l Likouala 42 75 117 156 276 432 64 4 6. Others 31 50 81 114 186 300 62 2 Subtotal 903 1,191 2,094 3,345 4,409 7,754 57 64 Total Baseline Costs 1,339 1,949 3,288 4,960 7,222 12,182 59 100 1. Physical Contingencies 131 196 327 484 726 1,210 50 10 2. Price Contingencies 57 81 138 209 301 510 59 4 Total Prolect Costs 1 36 ,53 59 114 B. Financing Plan GEF USS10,100,000 !/ USAID USS 2,190,000 US Peace Corps USS 410,000 HPLF USS 220,000 Goverrment USS 98.000 Total USS13,900,000 a/ of which a USS 100,000 GEF Project Preparatory Advance and a USS 10 million GET grant.  7 Schedule B Page 1 of 2 REPUBLIC OF CONGO WILDLANDS PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT PROJECT Procurement Arrangements 1/ Paral lel Item ICe LCB Other Financing y Total --------------------- USS Thousand --------------------- 1. Civil Works - 480 780 - 1,260 - (330) (720) * (1,050) 2. Vehicles 400 - 140 - 540 (400) - (140) - (540) 3. Goods and Equioment 400 270 400 100 1,170 (400) (270) (400) - (1,070) 4. TechnicaL Assistance a. Short-Term - - 2,860 - 2,860 - - (2,B60) (2,860) b. Resident - - 1,360 960 2,320 - - (1.360) - (1.360) Subtotal - - 4,220 960 5,180 - - (4,220) - (4,220) 5. Training - 430 1,010 1,440 - - ~~~~(430) - (430) 6. Incremental Operating Costs a. Supplies and - - 2,276 - 2,276 salaries 3/ - - (1,648) - (1,648) b. Others - - 1,936 - 1,936 - - (1.040) - (1.040) Subtotalt 4,212 4,212 (2,688) (2,688) 7. Project Preparatory - 100 - 100 Advance (PPA) - - (100) - (100) Total 800 750 10,282 2,070 13,902 (800) (600) (8,698) - (10,098) 1/ Amounts in parentheses lndicate GEF financing 2/ ParalLel financing by other donors will be under their own procedures 3/ SaLaries of incremental contractual and/or private personnel.  8 Schedule B Page 2 of 2 REPUBLIC OF CONGO WILDLANDS PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT PROJECT Disbursement og GET Grant US$ '000 % of Expendit. Cateeorv Equivalent To be Financed 1. Civil Works 960 100% 2. Vehicles, Goods and Equipment 1,550 100% 3. Technical Assist. and Training 3,770 100% 4. Training 1/ 430 100% 5. Incremental Operating Costs (a) Fuel and Lubricants 360 60% up to Dec. 32, 1995 30% thereafter (b) Other 2,060 100% up to December 1995 50% thereafter 6. Unallocated 870 Total 2/ 10,000 _l As part of activities both of the PMU and other executing agencies. a/ Total amount of GET Grant, excluding the US$100,000 GEF Project Preparation Advance (PPA). B. Disbursement Schedule Bank Fiscal Year 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 ------------------------------US$ million--------------------- Annual 0.6 1.6 2.8 2.4 2.0 0.6 Cummulative 0.6 2.2 5.0 7.4 9.4 10.0  9 ScheduleC Page 1 of 1 REPUBLIC OF CONGO WILDLANDS PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT PROJECT Timetable of Key Project Processing Events (a) Time taken to prepare: 1.5 year (b) Prepared by: Government and IBRD (c) First IBRD mission: February 1991 (d) Appraisal mission departure:i March 16, 1992 (e) Negotiations: October 26-30, 1992 (f) Planned Date of Effectiveness: March 31, 1993 (g) Relevant PCRs and PPARs: None 1/ Key staff for project preparation and appraisl were: Messrs./Mmes Jean-Claude Balcet (Senior Agricultural Economist/Task Manager), Karen Rihardson (Ecologist), Amy Vedder (WCI). Serge van Outryve (AGRER) and Charles Di_nnge (IUCN).  10 Annex I Page I of 2 REPUBLIC OF CONGO WILDLANDS PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT PROJECT Prolect Management Unit I. Personnel The Project Management Unit (PMU) would oversee all project-related activities and would coordinate and manage project-related activities at the national level. The PMU would be composed of: (a) a national coordinator, to be selected through competitive selection process advertized in the local media; (b) a national expert in charge of the monitoring and evaluation component and the central- level studies; (c) a national expert in charge of the technical follow-up of reserve-level activities; and (d) an internationally-recruited expert advisor to the national coordinator. The advisor to the national coordinator would: (a) assist in the supervision and coordination of project activities; (b) help prepare contracts and conventions; (c) assist in the Monitoring and Evaluation of the project; and (d) liaise with the research community. If the expert were Congolese, he/she would have to come from outside the mninistries implicated in the project. The qualifications required would be minimum of ten years of field experience in Africa in general project planning and management, with qualifications in enviroinmental management and socio-economic development. The advisor would also need a good command of computers and complete fluency in French. H. Studies and Consultancies The Project Management Unit would provide specialized consultancies and studies with the help of national and intemational experts, for the following purposes: (a) financial and accounting management of project activities; (b) development of a coherent regulatory and institutional framework for all conservation activities, which would form the basis of a permanent structure; (c) study of the bushmeat problem at the central level (i.e. urban consumption of bushmeat and urban markets for bushmeat); (d) development of a protocol for surveys of local populations and supervision of the execution of the surveys at the reserve level; and (e) development of a central level strategy for anti-poaching to be implementod at the reserve level. In addition to the above studies/consultancies, the Project Management Unit would: (a) conduct the project Monitoring and Evaluation activities; (b) oversee the legal and technical engineering of the trust fund (see Annex 4); (c) help national NGOs capacity-build; and (d) promote sub-regional cooperation in the field of conservation.  11 Annex I Page 2 of 2 Project Management Unit (Ct'd) m. Capacitv-building of national Non-Government Organizations The project would provide support to national NGOs in the field of conservation to help build their capacity to implement conservation-related activities. This would be done through direct on-the-job training with the international NGOs associated with the project and through support from the Project Management Unit. This support would be used for: (a) developing the capacity of national NGOs to execute conservation-related activities including twinning local NGOs with intemational NGOs for the implementation of project activities at the reserve level; (b) providing conservation-oriented national NGOs access through the PMU to some of the necessary facilities and equipment to develop conservation programs; and (c) promoting national NGOs through seminars, workshops, conferences and short-term training.  Annex 2 Page I of 11 REPUBLIC OF CONGO CONGO WILDLANDS PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT PROJECT Mionitorini and Evaluation (M&E) Program 1. General Considerations A. Goals and Scope of M&E Activities In view of the central project goal to document knowledge and experience gained in project implementation under the 'rolling design' strategy adopted, M&E activities would be an integral part of the project implementation process. The pilot nature of some project components (including biological monitoring) will also require effective M&E capability to assure reliable measurement of project impact and results. Beyond this immediate objective, the project will aim more broadly at testing M&E procedures suitable for biodiversity conservation projects. M&E activities will focus on three aspects of project implementation: - institutional development, as the project represents a major vehicle to build coherent national capacity to manage conservation activities; - biological composition, ecological conditions and status of key biological elements, as tracking these parameters can contribute to the fundamental knowledge base of tropical conservation practice; and - socio-economic conditions and community participation issues, as these concern the prospects for local sustainability of conservation initiatives. Within each subject area the M&E program will deffne indicators to be monitored, integrate existing infornation and define new data gathering requirements to measure relevant baseline parameters. Where appropriate, activities will identify control interventions and design appropriate sampling schemes, identify and analyze trends, and recommend management actions. B. Role of Central vs. Local Structures M&E activities will be executed within each reserve by the local management team with technical support, periodic review and coordination functions supplied at the central level by the PMU in collaboration with the National Herbarium (CERVE), the Geographic and Cartographic Center (CERGEC), utilizing specialized short- term technical consultations as needed. (a) Project Management Unit The PMU will assist local site authorities to define requirements for baseline studies, identify key "indicators" to be monitored and develop an appropriate schedule and format for reporting of M&E results. The PMU will commission special studies (e.g. of bushmeat marketing) as necessary and facilitate technical assistance for the design and application of monitoring and evaluation activities by domestic and international collaborating  13 Annex 2 Page 2 of 11 agencies or institutions. Some critical elements of the PMU work program during PYI are given below in section 111. The PMU will develop appropriate terms of reference for the Technical Steering Committee and ensure that this entity has an appropriate role in the definition and review of M&E programs and reports. The project management staff at the PMU will identify key activities that should receive detailed attention from the Peer Review Committee during a given review cycle or mission so that cumulative knowledge and documentation of project methods and achievements can be achieved in addition to information on overall performance. (b) Peer Review Committee The purpose of the external Peer Review Commnittee to be established under the project is to provide periodic feedback to the PMU, the Government and the Bank on overall performance and progress toward achieving project objectives. The committee will use the data produced under the M&E program and report findings on an annual basis in a concise format addressing: - current status with regard to proposed project objectives and activities; - problems and delays in implementation and their proximate/ultimate causes; - recommendations for mid-course alterations; - analysis of implications of delays or proposed changes in specific activities with regard to overall project implementation schedules and performance; and - issues and actions that require attention by Bank, Government or other program management staff to improve project performance. (c) Technical Steering Committee The Technical Steering Committee (TSC) represents the principal public forum for periodic review and evaluation of project performance. Comprised of memmbership from the DFF, the collaborating agencies, other relevant ministries, participating NGOs and the local site implementing units, the TSC will participate in the M&E process through regular (at least serni-annual) review of performance reports prepared by the PMU and special studies commissioned under the project. Prior to the project mid-term review, the TSC will review project performance against established goals for each of the site components. The TSC will review annual reports of the Peer Review Conmmittee and address needs for mid course changes recommended by the Peer Reviewers or the PMU. The TSC in its role as an advisory body to the PMU and the site management authorities can recommend specific issues to be addressed by the M&E unit within PMU and its collaborating agencies and review results of special studies commissioned by the PMU to address such issues. (d) Local level units The local site authorities are the principal agents responsible for monitoring and evaluation of biological and ecological parameters relevant to project execution. They are also the units primarily responsible for basic data collection and documentation of on the ground project performance in the areas of: physical establishment of the protected areas, enforcement activities, community participation issues, and project related development enterprises. With participation of the PMU and review by the TSC, the local units will define the indicators to be monitored during project execution and agree on a reporting schedule and format acceptable to the  14 Annex 2 Page 3 of 11 PMU. As required, the local site authorities will cooperate with the Peer Review Committee and the PMU in providing information on basic M&E activities undertaken at each of the project sites. Guidelines for relevant general issues to track in site level project execution are given below in section 11. Some critical site-specific issues to be addressed by the local site monitoring program during the period preceding the project mid-term review are given in section IV. 11. CateYories of M&E Activities Tracking project performance requires a clear definition of meaningful and measurable criteria against which progress toward achievement of general objectives can be assessed. Below are listed various categories of activities that pertain to conservation program design, establishment and management and some suggested 'milestones" by which progress can be assessed. A. Leeal/nstitutlonal Framework and Cavacitv Buildine (a) Legal and Institutional Framework The legal and institutional framework will be critical to the development of a permanent structure in charge of all conservation activities. During the initial phases of the project the following indicators will be used to track project performnance in the following areas: - progress toward establishing the appropriate legal framework for creation and management of protected areas, regulation of hunting or game harvesting, and appropriate enabling legislation to create the institutional structures needed for long term effective management; - participation in appropriate international conventions (e.g. becoming a party to the 'Ramsar" Convention conceming maintenance and wise use of wetland resources); - progress in drafting and enacting appropriate legal instruments (laws, decrees, declarations, bylaws) to gazette the principal project sites; - collection of adequate information (legal and technical) to prepare the necessary legal instruments (e.g. formal boundary descriptions, land tenure assessments); - establishment of review and advisory boards; - preparation and approval of management plans; - appointment and arrival in post of the key personnel (e.g. Project Coordinator); and - preparation and approval of annual workplans, and fulfillment of reporting requirements. (b) Capacity Buildinz Monitoring project performance with respect to meeting capacity building goals, will require tracking progress in three general areas: formal or professional education; informnal and local level training; and public awareness programs.  15 Annex 2 Page 4 of 11 Indicators for PY1 will include tracking milestones of progress such as: identification of formal and informal training needs; development of training program and schedule; selection of candidates; identification of counterpart staff or constituents; measure of impact of on-going and new educational activities on attitudes and perceptions of target constituents; and public participation in awareness programs and the effect on media coverage of conservation related enterprises. B. Biolozical Monitorin2 and Protected Area Mana2ement (a) General Biological Features The overriding question to be answered is if the project activities promote improved conservation of biological diversity on the national scale and at the project sites. One of the principal objectives of baseline studies is to define and delineate boundaries of core zones, buffer zones and other land management units within and adjacent to the project sites that will be effective for long term management and conservation of biological diversity. Key activities to be addressed and monitored to track progress toward this goal include: - the assessment of status and distribution of target fauna and flora; - identification of fragile ecosystems and special features; - mapping of land cover and habitat distribution (Beta diversity); - execution of faunal and floral inventories (Alpha diversity); and - measurement of hydrological cycles and climatic parameters as these relate to ecological stability of the sites. (b) Protected Area Management (i) Core conservation areas Achievements concerning management of these areas during the initial project phase will be monitored by evaluating progress toward: - definition and delineation of core areas or wildlife sanctuaries and buffer zones and other 'special use' zones are identified and approved; - the development and execution of appropriate management plans;  16 Annex2 Page 5 of 11 control of illegal hunting, as measured by the number of snares set, capture rate, or other signs of poaching or illegal activities; the frequency and effectiveness of patrolling (i.e. have sufficient staff been recruited and trained to protect core areas); and bringing forested tracts adjacent to core areas under appropriate management to allow for habitat continuity and to serve as dispersal sinks for wildlife populations resident in the core areas. (ii) multiRle-use areas For the management of these areas during the initial phase, the following will be monitored by tracking whether: - external boundary descriptions are prepared and approved and any proposed adjustments to existing boundaries have been identified and approved; - subsistence hunting is being carefully regulated and poaching controlled; - patrolling by locals recruited by the project has increased protection of wildland resources of buffer areas; - collection of firewood has remained at sustainable levels in buffer areas; and - the pace at which the regeneration of primary forest tree species occurred in logged areas in or adjacent to protected areas is adequate or not. C. Socio-economic Conditions and Community Particinatlon (a) Socio-economic Conditions (i) Huntine and Economic Owportunitv Hunting remains the preeminent male activity in the rural areas of Congo. The activity is basic to local subsistence and cash income. The reserve areas, if divided into "core" and "buffer' areas, with some hunting allowed for local populations in the latter, will have to find reasonable alternatives for men offering comparable revenues and community incentives. Monitoring activities should include: following the level of bushmeat production by species and quantity for a small, representative sample in some communities in or around the reserves. Site staff will handle data collection and at least some preliminary analysis; tracking changes in consumption patterns of bushmeat in the urban centers, especially the viability of any proposed substitutes; and evaluating the success of management and protection measures through examples of infractions, fines, seizures and oLher evidence (such as traps and snares discovered).  17 Annex 2 Page 6 of 11 (ii) Gender differences in economic activitv Rural activities are organized according to a sexual -- and in some cases a generational -- division of labor. Women produce the staple crops, such as manioc, taro and maize. They also bring in regular cash revenues for the household through sale of products such as processed manioc, raphia palm wine, palm kernels and small game snared in garden traps. Preliminary studies and subsequent monitoring will have to establish the potential significance of local perceptions of nature and implications of gender differences for the actual adoption of "new activities". Women are typically responsible for the regular, intensive labor in some forms of agriculture and animal husbandry, as well as in food processing; men specialize in activities including hunting, fishing, heavy periodic labor (like forest clearing), managing trees for cash cropping, and generating revenues from outside labor opportunities. Monitoring activities should include: - resource generating activities specifically tailored to women, such as improved conditions for production, processing and marketing staple crops for the household and market; and - resource generating activities specifically tailored to men, such as "new" cash crops and sustainable forms of hunting. N.B.: If appropriate, some attention could be given to generational differences in activities. For instance, younger men may be turning to indiscriminate poaching for bushmeat merchants as an alternative to currently unavailable, periodic wage labor. (iii) Perspectives for "alternative economic activities" In general, rural productive activities in the proposed sites remain extensive, based on mixes of shifting agriculture, animal husbandry, hunting and gathering. The success of the range of "alternative activities" sponsored by the project will depend on means of breaking contemporary production constraints. Promoting "new" cash crops will depend on current markets, handling and transport capacities. The cluster of issues relating to transport problems appear crucial to prospects for future economic alternatives in the project sites. Infrastructure is poor, and not managed to encourage overland transport by road. Men, therefore, "rationally" focus on high value for low weight/bulk production of goods such as gold, bushmeat, fish and live animals. Otherwise they move themselves opportunistically as (seasonal) labor to urban marketplaces and to rural worksites (such as lumber concessions and construction sites). Women engage in localized food production and transformation, and small-scale commnercialization of goods such as poultry, processed cassava and palm-wine. Points that should be monitored for alternative activities include: local changes in the techniques, varieties and/or quantities produced in relation to new (and old) activities; and applications of applied research to local conditions and dissemination of technology for activities including sustainable management of capture fisheries, small livestock rearing, innovative forms of tropical animal husbandry, game ranching and aquaculture.  18 Annex 2 Page 7 of 11 (b) Commnunity ParticiDation (i) 'Traditional" community land tenure and use rights Given official government "suppression" of communal land law, the project will have to effectively reformalize and reinsta.e the power of local tenure and usufruct rights as an integral part of the management program. The project should monitor the following: - the recognition of local systems of regulation by the government and management authorities, including land use (for agriculture, etc.), arboriculture, hunting, fishing and gathering; - statutes, reserve regulations and minutes of committee or local meetings will serve as written evidence of the "relegitimization" of commnunity powers; - the content of local regulations, covering hunting, fishing and gathering, including the exclusion or limitation of locations, periodicity, species, techniques, time of day (diurnal or nocturnal), immature or pregnant animals, certain plants or plant parts, etc.; and - disputes or local litigation indicating the level of respect and enforcement of regulations by the communities. (ii) Stimulating and sustaining community suvDort and Darticipation in wildlands manasement Given the significant contemporary and potential future impact of the local communities on the sites, their role in management planning and implementation will be absolutely critical. For instance, ineffective incorporation of the communities in and around the Dimonika Reserve has already resulted in considerable local animosity without changing the heavy pressures on the resource. The community members will need to play roles on group and individualized bases in the regulation, surveillance and enforcement of sustainable resource use. The program should monitor the following areas pertinent to community support and participation: - evidence of community roles in enforcement of protection measures, such as banning certain methods of hunting; and - periodic canvassing of community members to determine the level of satisfaction with the combination of management and local development efforts. (iii) Information, education. negotiation and exchanze of ideas Indigenous knowledge and beliefs about natural resources are valuable for conceiving of and justifying measures. For instance, hunters have notions about the impact of hunting immature, female and pregnant animals on productivity. The following areas should be monitored: - reserve reports regarding the design and operation of the dialogue with the local community members, including message content, community feedback, methodologies and periodicity; - meeting minutes and changes in management based on negotiated revisions of program short-term or intermediate objectives; and - periodic field verification of the information flows within the communities.  19 Annex 2 Page 8 of 11 III. Work Program at Central Level A. PMU Work Proeram Below is a partial list of key activities which need to be carried out under the responsibiltity of the PME during the first year (PYl) of project implementation to get the major components operational: - creation of the administrative structure of the PMU and the project site authorities; - establishment of the Technical Steering Committee with appropriate terms of reference and membership representing national and site specific implementing institutions; - establishment of the Peer Review Committee with appropriate terms of reference and membership acceptable to the World Bank; - development of a framework and tentative timetable for undertaking necessary legislative review toward gazettement or revision of legislation concerning gazettement of project sites; - definition of training and institutional development goals and schedules, including needs for workshops, technical and advanced training and on-the-job coaching from the expatriate technical assistance; - formulation of a strategy for promoting public awareness of conservation issues which takes advantage of special and unique features of the individual site programs; - formulation of a plan for integration of the projects conservation goals into the framework of the National Environmental Action Plan currently being prepared; and - definition of guidelines for community participation in site management and for development of program to promote alternative economic activities in local communities within and adjacent to project sites. B. Proiect Launch Workshoo Once the project management staff are in post and work plans have been drafted, a Proiect Launch Workshop will be organized to bring together staff from the PMU, collaborating agencies such as the National Geographic and Cartographic Center (CERGEC), Mutuelles Congolaises d'Epargne et de Credit (MUCODEC), the National Herbarium (CERVE), and the site specific management units, to discuss the detailed work program for PYI. The M&E program will figure as a major items on the workshop agenda. The timing for such a workshop will depend on tho schedule of recruitment and deployment of key personnel, and progress in preparation of workplans with clearly defined me-surable goals and objectives. An appropriate target date for the workshop will be May 1993. Output of the workshop will include: - definition of baseline studies and indicators for measuring project achievements with regard to biodiversity related research, protected areas design and establishment, legal and institutional issues and comnmunitv involvement;  20 Annex 2 Page 9 of 11 definition and adoption of a M&E schedule for the period preceding the mid-term project review; articulation of monitoring and evaluation activities and responsibilities between the national and individual site component levels; agreement on reporting formats and mechanisms among the representatives of the PMU, the collaborating agencies, and the site-specific project implementation units; and delineation of the role and responsibilities of the Technical Comminttee and the Peer Review Committee with regard to M&E activities. IV. Orientations for Work Program at Reserve Level Within most protected areas, few data exist for many of the variables which could be used as indicators of successful conservation action. During PY1, major emphasis will have to be placed on data collection in order to assess the effectiveness of the project activities in years to come. Detailed goals and indicators will be defined based on a dialogue between the local site management authorities, the PMU and the national institutes during the Project Launch Workshop scheduled within the first six months of project implementation. Some preliminary aspects of project performance which have been identified for monitoring progress at each of the project sites during the period preceding the Mid-Term Review are given below. A. Nouabale-Ndoki - status of poaching, particularly along international borders; - track record of counterpart training; - demographics and movement-migration patterns of primates; - attitudes of local peoples toward the reserve; - legal boundary description, demarcation and gazetting of the reserve including buffer zones or multiple-use areas; and - progress on baseline botanical surveys and faunal elements in addition to large mammals. B. Conkouati - legal status of reserve and any necessary changes (intemal zoning); - EA's for any expansion of forestry or oil production activities; - control of poaching and progress on buffer zone development of fuelwood production; - monitor threats to aquatic ecosystems; and - interactions with resident fishing communities and progress in involving local communities in project design and development.  21 Annex 2 Page 10 of 11 C. Dimonika readjustment of internal zoning to reflect realistic ability to manage wildlife populations; progress in identifying buffer zone development alternatives; involvement of local people in reserve management decisions and their application; and success in transfer of administrative responsibility from UNDP/UNESCO to DFF. D. Lirini possible reclassification of Lake Blue and Mbouambe areas to upgrade status for wildlife management; success in controlling grazing pressure on fragile upland savannahs and control of bushfires along gallery forest margins; realistic plans for ecotourism development with maximum financial returns to local resident cormmunities; and rmonitor local attitudes toward the reserve (particularly the gorilla reintroduction program) and local participation in all aspects of reserve development. E. Lac TeIle-Likouala Congo to become a party to the "Ramsar" Convention before it can register the site; Ramsar registration of the site and appropriate national legal designation to precede major investment; delineation and legal description of boundaries including internal zonation to delineate "core zones" critical for seasonal (at least) protection of target species such as migratory waterfowl; progress on necessary research to accomplish the above; analysis of external threats to the wetland (if any) from potential disruption of the hydrological regime by upstream activities; initiating of studies on the current status and production potential (under a sound management regime) and prospects for enhancement of native fisheries before going into aquaculture alternatives (which have frequently been costly and economically nonviable elsewhere); and contacts with organizations such as Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB) and International Commission for Bird Protection (ICBP) which have considerable African experience in wetland research and assisting development of locally managed wetland conservation programs to participate in data gathering and program planning for establishing this wetland conservation area.  22 Annex 2 Page 11 of I1 V. Concludin! Remarks Further design and elaboration of monitoring and evaluation procedures should result from a participatory process involving PMU staff, representatives of collaborating agencies (e.g. CERVE, CERGEC), key personnel of collaborating institutions (e.g. WCI, IUCN, Howletts and Port Lympne Foundation, HELP). The composition of the Technical Steering Committtee needs to be defined and the terms of reference for its operation developed and approved. Reporting formats and key indicators for performance tracking need to be identified, defined and agreed to by the participants and executing agencies. The M&E program needs to be further refined as an integral component of the project in such a way that efforts expended in that realm contribute directly to enhanced project performance rather than detracting from the limited time that key project staff have to devote to accomplishing the major project objectives. To this end, the M&E process must be (and be perceived to be) an integral component of project execution. To this effect, the process must provide valuable feedback to project managers in helping them design their future workplans and program agendas. The process must also provide outputs which are a credible reflection of meaningful project achievements and help to identify future needs for project actions and investments beyond the four year period of GEF financing. The recommendations in this annex should be taken as general guidelines for project management and implementing personnel in designing an appropriate M&E regime which satisfies their own needs for information to be used in project planning and execution. Results of the M&E process comprise a powerful and effective management tool for the implementing agencies in both assessing and communicating project successes. Reporting requirements for donors must be met in a way that both accurately reflects meaningful indicators of project performance and does not detract from efforts to meet core project goals and objectives. An efficient and effective M&E process is necessary to meet that goal.  23 Annex 3 page I of 2 REPUBLIC OF CONGO WILDLANDS PROTECTION AND MANAGEMIENT PROJECT Trust Fund I. Overview The level of project funding would only be sufficient to cover the initial activities at the central and reserve level. It is therefore crucial that the project leverage funds from other sources to cover long-term recurrent costs. The project would do this by creating a trust fund to provide a long-term, perhaps indefinite, future income stream. This would not only improve program stability by facilitating long-range planning, training and recruitment, but would also serve to build up absorptive capacity by spreading large grants over a longer period of time), small grants capacity (by 'retailing' large grants to a range of snaller projects) and would institutionalize cooperation between the government sector, local communities and NGO's. The project would support the legal and technical engineering and associated publicity needed to establish the Trust Fund, but would not contribute to its financial endowment. The idea would be to attract outside donors to put money into the Trust Fund to cover part of the recurrent costs for conservation-related activities in Congo. The engineering of this fund would be done by World Wildlife Fund - US which has extensive experience in developing trust fund for conservation-related projects. The model for the trust fund would be developed based on consultations with the Government, NGOs and the GEF. The Trust Fund would be established by the Mid-Term Review of the project (PY3). UI. Models and Related Issues A. Other GEF Trust Fund Models Trust funds now being developed with assistance from the GEF in Bhutan, Papua New Guinea, Peru and Poland can provide models for various elements of the trust fund that would be created for Congo. These models share the following common features: (a) Trust funds are set up to finance agreed upon types of projects and activities; (b) funds are put into an endowment maintained by either (i) recipient country central bank or treasury or (ii) offshore fund managers, who will in either case have administrative and investment responsibility; (c) Board of trustees to include government, NGOs, scientific community and GEF representatives. Fiduciary and operational responsibility to lie with these trustees, who would approve project plans/recurrent costs and financial statements, and authorize disbursements for forthcoming periods (perhaps 12 months) ; and  24 Annex 3 page 2 of 2 (d) Responsibilities of the World Bank would include: (i) assisting the planning and appraisal of initial project/costs to be financed by the trust; (ii) approving trust agreements and arrangements for security of fund, investment policies, accounting requirements, disbursement procedures, and arrangements for independent auditing; and (iii) periodic evaluation of the extent to which the trust is achieving its initial objectives, or possibly whether those objectives should be modified given changing circumstances or project achievements. B. Issues Issues that have needed to be worked out in the case of other GEF assisted trust funds, and whose solutions may have to be tailored to meet country- specific needs and conditions, include the following: (a) The precise composition of the trust fund board -specifically which government ministries and agencies are to be represented, how many seats or votes they are to receive, which NGO's, local community representatives and scientific experts are to be represented and how they are to be chosen; (b) Whether or not to have separate sub-account or mnini-trust funds dedicated for different purposes, or for different geographical areas; (c) Whether (and in what way) to associate the trust fund with an existing government agency (or agencies), or whether to make it totally independent; (d) Whether the trust should have only a minimal administrative staff or whether it should have a variety of full-time positions for technical experts and administrators; and (e) What should be the criteria for project activities and other assistance that the trust fund will provide in the future, after funding of the initial project stages is completed. Other issues that have arisen in the case of other GEF assisted trust funds and may also need to be dealt with here include: (a) A trustee generally cannot delegate fiduciary responsibility without permission from the original grantor; the World Bank might therefore require specific authorization from the GEF donors to establish such trust funds; (b) Establishing separate trust funds would represents a significant delegation of authority by the World Bank; it would be essential to determine whether operational safeguards, could be established to minimize the risks related to this delegation; (c) The extent to which project management and supervision could be delegated to the trustees, or retained by the World Bank, would require clarification; and (d) Acceptability to donors and recipients.  25 Annex 4 Page 1 of 4 REPUBLIC OF CONGO WILDLANDS PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT PROJECT Training and Public Awareness I. Overview 1. In order to effectively conserve a system of protected areas in the Congo, and to ensure long-term support for rnanagement of conservation efforst, there is a great need to further develop in-country professional and public capacity to recognize the importance of biological conservation and to undertake activities necessary for its implementation. Specific human resource constraints include the following: (a) an inadequate number of qualified and motivated professionals available to ensure conservation of protected areas: (i) at the national level: lack of administrative and scientific experts with the means and experience to identify effective policies and strategies, and to enact long-term planning; and (ii) at the level of protected areas: lack of conservators (6 currently empolyed nation-wide), guards (16 total), guides (none), and outreach personnel responsible for liaison with neighboring populations (none); (b) a lack of scholastic programs concerning environmental and conservation issues, at all levels (primary school, secondary school, and university/technical school); and (c) little sensitivity within the Congolese populace on the importance and relevance of biologocal conservation to their individual and collective (national) welfare. H. Existing Programs 2. Many of the needs cited above are somewhat suprising given the strong emphasis placed on education and training in the Congo. Constraints exist because current professional training is largely restricted to theory, with no significant practical of field experience provided. At the same time, little or no conservation-related information is discussed with school or public audiences. However, the existing institutional capacity to educate both professionals and the general populace is great. A review of the training needs and the institutional capacity to undertake training and public awareness is being performed under the Protected Areas Conservation Strategy (PARCS) program executed by WCI, W-WVF, and AWF (African Wildlife Foundation). Existing institutions and their relevant progranms include: A. Professional TrAinine (a) the Wildlife school at Garoua (Cameroon), where 24 Congolese have trained over the past 22 years to become technical experts, conservators and head guards--but training rarely includes field experience in forests or in Congo; (b) the Rural Development Institute (IDR) (Brazzaville), which offers three and six year programs in Forestry (including 2 relevant branches of Anirnal Biology and Plant Biology) and Agriculrural Sciences--field work is required, though few real opportunities exist.  26 Annex 4 Page 2 of 4 (c) the University of Marien Ngouabi (Brazzaville), which offers three and four year degrees in Animal Biology, Plant Biology, and Environmental Law -- fieldwork consists of one week's visit in either program; (d) the National Forestry School (ENEF), at which forest technicians receive training in syviculture and forest exploitation; and (e) a post-graduate training program in natural resource management (ATLAS), and in particular conservation, is planned to begin in late 1992 with USAID financing, offering Master's and Doctoral training in the United States; other bilateral assistance is irregularly available for conservation-related post-graduate education. B. Scholastic Trainin2 (a) secondary schools, which have courses in biology and ecology; and (b) primary schools -- nothing is currently taught regarding biology or environment. C. Public Awareness/Extension/Outreach (a) national-level media: television, radio, newspapers, films -- currently cover very little on environment or conservation; (b) Directorate on Environmental Law and Education -- is now testing a set of teaching modules on conservation for the region surrounding the Dimonika-MAB reserve under financing from the Mayombe Project; (c) rural extension programs: Literacy Centers (approx. 300), "Rural Progress" Centers, rural associations/groups, women's groups, the National Agricultural Extension Project (World Bank), other specific rural development projects -- little/no discussion of biological conservation or non- project natural resource management currently takes place; (d) particular conservation projects: Mayombe Project (UNESCO/UNDP), Odzala National Park (EDF), and Congo Forest Conservation Project (USAID/WCI at Nouabale-Ndoki) -- each plans a public awareness component of project; and (e) national NGOs: 2-3 conservation NGOs are presently being formed, one existing NGO focusses on women and natural resources -- all plan emphasis on public awareness. 3. In sum, able institutions and public awareness mechanisms exist, yet do not function effectively in conservation education and training chiefly due to: (a) a lack of information readily available to them concerning biological conservation and protected areas; (b) inadequate means to give trainees field experience; and (c) little means for maintaining professional motivation once employed.  27 Annex 4 Page 3 of 4 m. Project StrategY 4. The project would adopt a strategy of: (a) link-ing existing professional training programs with protected area conservation activities and personnel, providing practical experience and frequently integrating biological, social and economic concerns in training; (b) establishing regular in-service workshops for protected area personnel, allowing for professional exchanges and discussion; (c) providing protected area inforrnation to public awareness programs, national and local; and (d) fostering dialogue with populations neighboring protected areas, integrating discussion of biological conservation and protected area management with alternative economic activities. IV. Proiect Training and Public Awareness Activities 5. The above strategy would be implemented by the following principal activities of the project: A. Training of Conservation Professionals (a) guards, guides: (i)periodic training workshop for all new personnel; (ii) on-site training via apprenticeship %.th project; and (iii) in-service workshop each year, in a protected area; ,b) outreach specialists: (i) 2 training workshops at onset of project (initial orientation, followed by 2 months of field reconnaissance, consolidated with 2nd workshop); and (ii) in-service workshop each year, in a protected area; (c) protected area managers: (i) fieldwork training/research in protected areas to be associated with existing programs at Garoua, IDR, the university, and ENEF; (ii) regular lectures given by field personnel at the above in-country institutional training programs and (iii) in-service workshops each year, in a protected area; and (d) de-ision-makers: (i) see above for basic formal trairing, and complementary bilateral financed pc.bt-graduate education (ATLAS); (ii) national level seminar each two years, possibly in conjunction with other environmental programs; and iii) occasional short-courses or conference attendance overseas; B. Public AwarenevS.iOntreach (a) national: (i) supply information and materials t, mvdia: television, radio, newspapers, films; facilitate their collection of information on proitcted areas and conservation; and (ii) support informational activities of NGOs, via selected small grants program; and (b) ru:al, in areas surrounding protected ar:as: (i) develop outreach program for each focal protected area, details of which will be developed in init al two workshops; may include outreach via network of village "ar,imateuis", local associations/groups, existing extensionlliteracy programs o- projects, and/or w dh locai scliools; and (ii) integrate outreach program with facilitation of a eernati:e ecoromic sctivities, making clear the necessary linkages.  28 Annex 4 Page 4 of 4 V. Training Schedule - Project Year 1 Project Year Month Activity PY1 2 Meeting of all implementing agencies to evaluate training needs 3 Training workshop for all new personnel; 4 Training workshop for all new guards 6 Training workshop for outreach specialists-initial orientation followed by 2 months of fiel_ reconnaissance 6 Meeting of decision makers to determine candidates for ATLAS program and training needs for decision makers 10 Workshop for reserve guards and outreach offices in Nouabale-Ndoki and Conkouati 12 National level seminar for decision makers in conjunction with the National Environmental Action Plan  29 Annex 5 Page 1 of 6 REPUBLIC OF CONGO WILDLANDS PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT PROJECT Technical Assistance and Service Contracts I. Overview of Resident Technical Assistance The GEF project would finance 272 person-months of resident technical assistance over the 4-year duration of project execution, including 128 person-months under GEF financing, 96 person-months under USAID fmnancing, and 48 person-months under the financing of the University of Kyoto. The distribution would be as follows: Component Position person- Period months Project - Advisor to the National Coordinator 36 yr. 1-3 Management Unit Herbarium - Botanist-ecologist 12 yr. I Map - Cartographer/GIS expert 6 yr. 1 database/GIS Nouabale-Ndoki - Project Director (USAID/WCI) 48 yr. 1-4 - Project Manager (USAID/WCI) 48 yr. 1-4 - Primatologist (Kyoto University) 24 yr. 1-2 - Sociologist (Kyoto University) 24 yr. 1-2 - Total Nouabale-Ndoki 144 Conkouati - Advisor to the Reserve Director 36 yr. 1-3 Dimonika - Advisor to the Reserve Director 24 yr. 1-2 Lefini - Periodic consultations - Lake Tele - Advisor to the Program Director 14 yr. 1-2 I. Terns of Reference for Resident Technical Assistance financed under the GEF Frant All resident technical assistants, in addition to their specific tasks presented below, will have to provide on-the-iob training and coaching to the national counterpart staff, so that the latter can take over when the technical assistants leave at the end of their expatriate assignrnent.  30 Annex S Page 2 of 6 A. Advisor to the National Coordinator Resvonsibilities: (a) assist in supervision and coordination of project activities; (b) help prepare contracts and conventions; (c) assist in the Monitoring and Evaluation of the project; and (d) liaise with research community. Duration of appointment: Three years Oualifications: Field experience (minimum of ten years) in Africa in general project planning and appraisal/management, with strong qualifications in environmental management and experience in socio-economic development. Good command of computers and fluent in French. Procurement method: Short-list competitive bidding amongst qualified firm/NGOs (PMU contract). B. Technical Assistant at the Herbarium (CERVE) Responsibilities: (a) assist in developing a scientific protocol for botanical inventorics; (b) develop staff capacity to carry-out botanical inventories in the project sites; (c) assist in developing vegetation maps; and (d) train the national director and assistant in the identification of plant species and ecosystems. Duration of appointment: One year Oualifications: Expert botanist-ecologistassociated with an internationally-recognizedherbarium which would provide long-term technical support to the herbarium with at least 5 years of experience in Africa. Fluent in French and English. Procurement method: Short-list competitive biding amongst internationally recognized herbariums (CERVE contract). C. Technical Assistant to the Geozraphic Research and Cartographic Production Center (CERGEC) Responsibilities: (a) help strengthen existing map database and vegetation maps, and (b) provide training in GIS and satellite image analysis;  31 Annex 5 Pagc 3 of 6 Duration of apnointment: Six months Oualifications: Cartographer with extensive experience in GIS and satellite image analysis, associated with an internationally-recognized institute which would provide long-term technical support to CERGEC. Fluent in French. Procurement method: Short-list competitive biding amongst specialized internationally recognized institute (CERGEC contract). D. Advisor to Reserve Director - Conkouati Responsibilities: (a) General management support/advice to Reserve Director; (b) supervision of studies and monitoring of local population; (c) supervision of the program to reintroduce chimpanzees; and (d) formulation of procedures and methods for the protection of the reserve. Duration of appointment: Three years. Oualifications: Minimum of five years experience managing national park/reserve/biological conservation projects in Africa. Sensitive to issues concerning local populations. Fluent in French. Procurement method: Sole source procurement with the World Conservation Union (IUCN contract). E. Advisor to Reserve Director - Dimonika Responsibilities: (a) General management support/advice to Reserve Director; (b) supervision of studies and monitoring of local population; (c) development and supervision of alternative economic activities for local populations; and (d) formulation of procedures and methods for the protection of the reserve. Duration of appointment: Two years. Oualifications: Minimum of five years experience managing a national park/reserve/biological conservation project in Africa. Background in sociology/rural development. Sensitive to issues concerning local populations. Fluent in French. Procurement method: Short-list competitive bidding amongst qualified firms/NGOs.  32 Annex 5 Page 4 of 6 F. Advisor to Pro2ram Director - Lake Tele Responsibilities: (a) General support/advice to Program Director; (b) assist in delineation of the limits of the site for gazetting; (c) development and supervision of alternative economic activities for local populations; and (d) formulation of procedures and methods for the protection of the reserve. Duration of appointment: Fourteen months. Oualifications: Minimum of five years experience managing a national park/reserve in Africa. Background in wetland ecology, with knowledge of rural development. Sensitive to issues concerning local populations. Fluent in French. Procurement method: Sole source procurement with the World Conservation Union (IUCN contract). III. Main Technical Assistance and Services Contracts A. Proiect Management Unit (PMU) Description - 3 person-years of resident T.A. $ 570,000 - National personnel $ 180,000 - Short-term consultancies $ 670,000 - Technical Steering Committee S 80,000 - National NGOs $ 90,000 - Operating expenditures $ 225000 Total $ 1,815,000 Procurement method: Short-list international competitive bidding B. National Herbarium (CERVE) Description - I person-year of resident T.A. $ 120,000 - National personnel $ 50,000 - Short-term consultancies $ 35,000 - Equipment and Goods $ 60,000 - Training $ 35,000 - Operating expenditures $ 15 000 Total $ 315,000 Procurement method: Short-list international competitive bidding  33 Annex 5 Page 5 of 6 C. National Geographic and Cartographic Research Center (CERGEC) Description - 8 person-months of resident T.A. $ 80,000 - National Personnel $ 35,000 - Training $ 40,000 - Goods and Services $ 80,000 - Operating Expenditures $ l 5 000 Total $ 250,000 Procurement method: Short-list international competitive bidding D. Nouabale-Ndoki Description: - National personnel $ 65,000 - Equipment and goods $ 55,000 - Reserve management $ 580,000 - Short-term consultancies $ 240,000 - Laboratory analysis $ 90,000 - Alternative activities $ 150,000 - Operating expenditures $ 220 000 Total $ 1,400,000 Procurement method: Sole-source procurement with Wildlife Conservation International ($1,240,000) and the University of Kyoto ($160,000) E. Conkouati Description: - 6 person-years of resident T.A. $ 530,000 - National personnel S 430,000 - Reserve management $ 160,000 - Equipment and goods $ 220,000 - Short-term consultancies $ 210,000 - Alternative activities $ 110,000 - Operating expenditures $ 130 000 Total $ 1,790,000 Procurement method: Sole-source procurement with the World Conservation Union (IUCN) F. Dirnonika Description: - 2 person-years of resident T.A. $ 200,000 - National personnel $ 125,000 - Equipment and goods $ 60,000 - Reserve management $ 110,000 - Alternative activities $ 65,000 - Operating expenditures $ 100.000 Total 660,000 Procurement method: Short-list international competitive bidding  34 Annex 5 Page 6 of 6 G. Lake Tele Description: - 14 months resident T.A. $ 175,000 - National personnel $ 130,000 - Equipment and goods $ 85,000 - Reserve management $ 40,000 - Short-term consultancies $ 30,000 - Alternative activities $ 50,000 - Operating expenditures $ 500 Total $ 560,000 Procurement method: Sole-source procurernent wiEh the World Conservation Union (IUCN) IV. Short-term Technical Assistance and Training Contracts A. Financial Audits $ 135,000 Procurement method: Short-list local competitive bidding B. Peer Review Committee $ 340,000 Procurement method: Short-list of international experts C. Procedure manuals $ 45,000 Procurement method: Short-list local competitive bidding D. Short-term consultancies $ 250,000 Procurement method: Short-list of national and international experts E. Trust Fund $ 340,000 Procurement method: Sole-source procurement with World Wildlife Fund F. Training $ 430,000 Procurement method: Short-list of national and international experts  35 Annex 6 Page I of 3 REPUIBLIC OF CONGO WVILDLANDS PROTECTION AND MIANAGENIENT PROJECT Nouabal&Ndoki Site 1. Background I. The Nouabale-Ndoki site, extending over some 450,000 ha, is located in the north of the country on the border with the Central African Republic and Cameroon. It is adjacent to the Dzanga-Sangha reserve in the CAR. The site covers the "forest management unit" (UFA) of Nouabale, although it also extends into the UFA of Kabo, Mokabi and Loundougou, thus incorporating the entire upper portion of the watersheds of the Nouabale and Ndoki Rivers. The climate is equatorial, with annual precipitation of approximately 1 ,600 mm and an average temperature throughout the year of close to 25